Help Installing Windows7 and merging two partitions

zigzag3143 said:

looks good to me. just make sure to backup.

ken

Thanks Ken,

He will end up with Disk0 from left to right, first partition with the new Win7 about 109GB, second partition with XP same as it is now.

This is what you want patmos, correct?

Looks good to me too. And in case he has problems with teh dual boot: Dual Boot Installation with Windows 7 and XP

patmos said:

Dave76 said:

zigzag3143 said:

looks good to me. just make sure to backup.

ken

Thanks Ken,

He will end up with Disk0 from left to right, first partition with the new Win7 about 109GB, second partition with XP same as it is now.

This is what you want patmos, correct?

Yes Dave this is what I want to achieve. You got me right.
If I understand you I can extend this partition to 109 GB. Let me install windows first, I'll try to figure out how.
Will all my installed programs on previous XP remain? I don't mind losing them.
ZigZag thank you for backup idea. But I will have RC on the next drive in the first instance . anything needed including mail can be retrieved.

You can install the New Win7 in the XP (D) partition, this will have to be a Clean (Custom) install, use the 'format' option during install (see Clean Install tutorial). Going from XP to Win7 no programs will remain.

I would recommend to install the New Win7 in the XP (D) partition, check and load the required drivers, add all MS updates, install all your programs, then use Windows Easy Transfer, to get most of the user setting from Win7 and your programs, from Win7RC (old computer) to the new win7 (new computer). WET will not transfer any programs, they will have to be install by you. Only you user settings will be transfered, with the exception of browser bookmarks, these can be exported using the Bookmark Manager or similar from your browser.

When you get the New Win7 running like you want it, I would remove/delete Win7RC. Unless you want to still use it, remember it's just going to be another OS to update and keep having to deal with.
I would get it down to two OS, Win7 and XP, just to make it easier to keep up with. Your choice, do as you feel will be best for you.

Before you can expand the new Win7 partition, you will need to delete the old Win7RC partition, this will create an 'Un-allocated' space, then you can expand the new Win7 partition to the right to include the un-allocated space. This can be done easily with Windows Disk Management.

Here's a couple of tutorials that might be useful:

How to Delete a Listed Operating System at Boot in Windows 7

How to Delete a Partition or Volume in Windows 7

How to Create and Attach a Virtual Hard Disk in Windows 7

patmos said:

Thanks to all. Windows7 installed as described on winxp partition, fresh install with format. But seeing only this install as Default OS. No Windows7 RC or XP on second drive.Windows boot directly to new Win7
So I will forget WinXP ( May will install second win7 in place of XP). Is there a way to transfer seetings from RC to new win7.WET as I see won't work or there is another procedure.

Are you saying there is no multi boot option?

Windows Easy Transfer will copy most of the setting in Win7RC and then put them in your new Win7.

Did you try running it?
Let us know the steps you used and we can try to help...

patmos said:

yes no multi boot option that's what i dreaded. I know xp keeps the boot ini in the first windows partition. I do not know how this is done for Win7.
WET asked me for old /new computers. There is no way to run WET on old PC( win7RC).

You can get the multi boot option back.

Download EasyBCD 1.7.2, it's a good, free and you can use it for setting up and configuring Windows boot entries.

Go to 'Add/Remove Entries' , pick the 'type' (use Vista for the Win7), Give it a 'Name', and select the 'Drive'.

Just add Win7RC for now.
XP will be a little more difficult, If you are planning on not using it anymore, like you mentioned before, now is a good time to do it.

When you get your new Win7 and Win7RC in Dual boot you can go to Win7RC (Old) and use Windows Easy Transfer to move settings to Win7(New).

Let us know if you have any questions.